Information and ruminations on the business of healthcare from veteran healthcare journalists.

Infographic: Rolling Out the Red Carpet to Improve Patient Satisfaction

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012
This post was written by Patricia Donovan

Valet parking, online booking, concierges, turn-down service, in-room Wifi, gourmet meals…the stuff of four star hotels, right? In this case, however, we’re not talking about hospitality, we’re talking healthcare, and about the lengths to which hospitals, physician practices and payors will go to enhance that elusive yet all-important metric known as the Patient Experience.

This new infographic from the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN) highlights some key trends in the healthcare industry to impress V.I.P.s  Very Important Patients &#151 with its service and care delivery. Lest some of these efforts seem frivolous, it is helpful to remember two things: first, that high marks in this area drive reimbursement and bonus levels for providers. And secondly, patients and health plan members are first and foremost consumers, who won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere in the wake of an unsatisfactory experience.

A survey last year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health found that nearly 40 percent of consumers surveyed last year said they use hospital ratings to choose a healthcare facility.

81 percent of respondents have a formal program to improve satisfaction levels of patients and members.

85 percent think their scores on CMS’s Hospital Compare site could be better.

Based on patient surveys, 80 percent say quality of care is the most important aspect of the care delivery experience, but only 7 percent are making changes in this area. Other patient gripes? Poor staff communication, say 58 percent, followed by access/wait times (42 percent).

More than a third  36 percent of respondents  say it’s the physician’s job to improve patient/member satisfaction, while others assign this responsibility to the director of patient relations, administrators or nursing staff.

91 percent survey patients on satisfaction with their care; in addition, 64 percent ask a random sampling of patients to complete the survey.

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